Chapter 16: The Tournament Begins
The massive stadium roared with excitement. Thousands of spectators filled the seats, waving banners, chanting, and cheering as the grand event was about to begin. The announcer's voice boomed through the speakers:
"In just a few minutes, the long-awaited tournament will begin! Are you all ready?!"
The crowd erupted— "OOOOOOHHHH!" "LET'S GOOOOOOO!!"
People had fought desperately for tickets even after they were completely sold out. This was the biggest tournament in the universe, held in the largest stadium in history.
Teams from across the world were being introduced one by one. The announcer raised his mic:
"First up! The most dominant clan in the world, the undefeated warriors from the United States—THE U.S. CLAN!"
The crowd roared. "AMERICA! OOOOOH!" As the six warriors of the U.S. Clan stepped onto the stage, they remained unfazed, standing like titans.
"Next, we have a team feared worldwide—the most notorious, most dangerous warriors to ever walk this Earth—the SKULL TEAM!"
The moment their name was called, six warriors stepped forward. One of them, a man named Sol, smirked and waved at the crowd, saying, "Ahh, welcome." The audience went wild.
More teams were introduced, each bringing their own energy.
And then…
"Now for the final team! The smallest, weakest, most laughable group in the entire tournament—THE BLOODHOODS!"
Silence.
No one appeared on stage.
The crowd burst into laughter. "Hahahaha!" "What a joke!" "Did they run away already?!"
The announcer chuckled. "I think they got scared and dropped out! What weaklings! Alright then, shall we begin the tournament?"
"YEEEEAAAAAHHHH!" the crowd responded.
Meanwhile…
Far from the stadium, the Bloodhoods were still walking through the city, trying to reach the venue.
Steel wiped sweat from his forehead. "Damn it! How far is this place?!"
As they passed a soccer field, they spotted a boy juggling a ball.
Zion walked up to him. "Hey kid, do you know where the Blood Tournament is being held?"
The boy kicked the ball into the air and caught it effortlessly. "Yeah, it's a few kilometers from here. Are you guys going?"
"Yeah," Zion replied.
The boy glanced at them, then frowned. "Wait a minute… you guys only have five members. You need six people to qualify for the tournament."
Zion's eyes widened. "What?!"
He turned to the others. "Guys, we need a sixth member to even enter the tournament!"
Steel groaned. "You're kidding me! What do we do now?!"
Ardyn's gaze fell on the soccer player. He narrowed his eyes. "Hey… kid, what's your name?"
"Me? It's Zico."
Back at the Stadium…
The tournament had already begun.
The Skull Team was fighting against the Metal Clan, absolutely demolishing them with overwhelming force. Each attack was brutal, each strike like a beast tearing through its prey.
The next battle was between the U.S. Clan and the Kiyoshi Clan. The moment the match began, the U.S. warriors displayed monstrous power.
Meanwhile, miles away, Ardyn and his team made a desperate move.
"Alright, that settles it!" Ardyn declared. "Zico, you're coming with us!"
Zico blinked. "Wait, what?! I don't even know how to fight!"
But before he could protest, Ardyn grabbed him, along with Steel, Zion, Kai, and Vex. He closed his eyes and activated Godspeed.
BOOOOOOM!
They blasted forward at the speed of sound, zooming through the city like a blur. Cars honked, people screamed, and they crashed into several objects along the way.
Kai clutched his head. "Ardyn! Do you even know where you're going?!"
Steel calculated. "Alright, at this speed, 500 kilometers should take us about… 24.3 minutes."
Ardyn gritted his teeth. "Then let's hurry the hell up!"
Back at the Stadium…
The announcer stepped forward.
"The next match is… the FUJIWARA CLAN… versus… THE BLOODHOODS!"
The Fujiwara Clan confidently walked onto the battlefield. Their warriors were powerful, well-trained, and ready for battle.
But the Bloodhoods?
No one was there.
The crowd laughed again. "HAH! THEY REALLY DID RUN AWAY!"
"Disqualify them already!" someone shouted.
The announcer smirked. "It looks like the weaklings left. Oh well, let's move on to the next match—"
THUD. THUD. THUD.
Footsteps echoed through the stadium.
The entire crowd fell silent.
Walking into the arena—covered in dust, battle-worn, but standing tall—were Ardyn, Zion, Steel, Vex, Kai, and Zico.
A man sitting above in the VIP section leaned forward.
A smile formed on his lips.
"I see… so they finally arrived."